Overhead structure for electric railways.



No. 803,215. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. H. P. DAVIS (S; -T. VARNEY. OVERHEAD STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INV TCRS I No. 803,215. 1 PATENTED OGT. 31, 1905. H. P. DAVIS & T. VARNEY.

OVERHEAD STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED 0(]T.19 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: 7 VENTORS YZTTORNEY which is mounted a block or head 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY P. DAVIS AND THEODORE VARNEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVA- NIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC 8: MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed October 19,1904. Serial No. 229,180.

tric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to electric railways, and particularly to apparatus for supporting and insulating trolley-conductors.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple, efficient, and durable means for supporting and insulating trolley-conductors in cases where it is desired that a trolley shall pass uninterruptedly from a line of one voltage to that of another voltage or from a line carrying alternating current to one carrying direct current, and vice versa.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one trolley-conductor support. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a casting constituting a part of our present improvement, a portion of a cooperating trolley-conductor section being also shown. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 at right angles to the view there shown. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the sup orting structure shown in Figs. 1. and 8, an Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the insulating-bar shown in Fig. 3.

In the system to which the present invention pertains the trolley-conductor is preferably supported in such position relativeto the track as may be desired by means of a messenger wire or cable, which is in turn supported from poles located adjacent to the track by means of suitable laterally-projecting bracket-arms, though any other suitable supporting means may be utilized.

In cases where it is desired to run the trolley directly from a circuit of one voltage to that of another voltage or from a circuit carrying alternating current to one carrying direct current, and viceversa, we provide special devices, which will be now described.

The pole 1, that is located adjacent to the point where the change in voltage or in kind of current takes place, is provided with a laterally-projecting arm 2, upon the free end of tween the block or head 3 and the pole 1 is interposed an inclined brace-arm 4, having an insulator 5.

Mounted in the head or block 3 are the ends of a U-shaped supplemental frame 6, each arm 6 of which is provided with an insulator 7, to which the end of a messenger-wire 8 is fastened by means of a suitable clamp 9, hav ing an eye 10. The end of a trolley-wire 11 is bent upward at a suitable angle into a passage-way in the outer edge of a triangular casting 12 and is clamped in position therein by means of suitable set-screws 13. The castin I2 is extended some distance in the nOrmaT direction of the trolley-conductor to form a clamping-ear 14, and another cla1nping-ear 15 is provided at the opposite side of the trolley-wire and is fastened to the firstnamed ear by means of suitable bolts 16. The other casting 17, to which the end of the trolley-conductor 18 is fastened in the same manner as that already described, is of the same form and is provided with the same attachments as the casting 12, but is reversely disposed.

A bar 19 of the proper length and shape and formed of some nonconducting material which has sufficient strength and resistance to atmospheric conditionssuch, for eXample, as hard woodis interposed between the two castings 12 and 17 and has its ends securely fastened thereto by means of bolts 20. The lower ed e 19 of the bar 19 preferably conforms in s ape to the corresponding side of the trolley-conductors 11 and 18, as indicated in Fig. 5, and is flush therewith, so that the trolley may move freely from one conductor to the other. The castings 12 and 17 are supported from the eyes 10 by means of inclined hangers 21, which may be wires, cables, or other forms of suspension devices having sufficient strength.

The trolley-conductor and messenger-cable supporting and insulating devices herein shown and described but not claimed are claimed by us in another pending application, Serial No. 229,178, filed October 19, 1904.

Such variations in the structure here shown and described as do not change the mode of operation or result are regarded as within the scope of our invention and are intended to be covered by the claims.

We claim as our invention tions, a non-conducting bridging-bar having metal castingsbolted to its ends,said castings having means for clamping the ends of the trolley-conductor sections thereto, and a supporting structure comprising a pole, an approximately horizontal arm having a double extension provided with cylindrical insulators and links connecting the insulators with said castings.

3. An overhead structure for electric railways comprising trolley-conductor sections, a wooden bar having end castings to which the ends of said trolley-conductor sections are fastened, a supporting structure comprising a pole, a laterally-projecting arm having a double-arm extension, insulators upon said extension-arms, and rods or links extending between the said insulators and the castings to which the trolley-conductor sections are fastened.

4. An overhead structure for electric railways comprising trolley-conductor sections, a non conducting bar having metal end pieces provided with upturned sockets to receive the ends of the trolley-conductor sections and with means for clamping said ends in said sockets, a supporting structure comprising a pole, a laterally-projecting arm having an extension provided with insulators, and links or rods connecting said castings with said insulators.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 8th day of October,

HARRY P. DAVIS. THEODORE VARNEY.

Witnesses:

CAROLINE SMYRos, CARL P. NACHOD, BIRNEYv HINES. 

